Floating fountain



May 15, 1956 Filed March ll, 1955 R. 1. PEARSE 2,745,697

FLOATING FOUNTAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet l Rubee J. Pearse INVENToR.

BY WWWMq,

May 15, 1956 R. J. PEARSE 2,745,597

FLOATING FOUNTAIN Filed Maron 11. 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 Fig. 3

Rubee J. Pearse IN VEN TOR amiga/wy 5mg;

United States APatent G FLOTING .FUNTAIN Rubee J. Pearse, Raleigh, N.'C.

pplicationMai-.ch 11, 19,55, SerialNo.,493,763 Y 1 CltimfV (Cl-'2994) My invention relates to Iimprovements in portable fountainsof the general `type forming vthe subject matter of my U. S. Patent No. 2,572,379, overwhich the instant fountain is designedas an improvement.

The primaryobjectf myl invention ,is to provide a iloatingfountainI forusein ponds, llakes or streams to provide a oating1,display of differently ;colored spraysY and fog...

Another object is to provide in such a fountain stabilizv ing means therefor maintaining the fountain `on a sub.-V

which will becomesubsequently` apparent .reside in the e details of construction andoperation as' more fullyy here-. inafter described andY claimed, Areferencebeing had to then accompanying drawings .forming .a part. hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a view in vertical section, taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 3, of my improved fountain in the preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in bottom plan drawn to a smaller scale;

Figure 3 is a view in plan partly broken away;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in Vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved fountain, as illustrated, comprises a hollow body 1 of sheet metal for oating in the water and which is preferably polygonal to reduce the tendency thereof to twirl in the water and flares upwardly with an open top and a at bottom 3.

A depending n 5 of cruciform shape and sheet metal depends from the bottom 3 and is welded thereto, as at 4, and provides a keel for stabilizing the body 1 in the water. Preferably, the fin 5 extends from side to side of said body 1.

An annular flanged cover 7 also of sheet metal lits over the body for closing the same and is detachably secured to the side of said body 1 by screws 9 threaded through the ange 11 of the cover 7 against said body 1.

A dome 13 rises out of the cover 7 for a substantial distance above the same and coaxially therewith. The dome 13 comprises a sheet metal cylinder 15 welded, as at 17, in the opening 19 of said cover and depending for a slight distance into the body 1 with a diametrical cross-bar 21 riveted, as at 23, in its bottom for a purpose presently described. A circumferentially ilanged Plexiglass cover 2S of dome shape ts downwardly over the top of the cylinder and seats in angular supports 27 riveted, as at 29, to the cylinder 15. Ihe cover 25 serves to radiate differently colored light rays therethrough up- 2,745,697 Patented .Mayfgl 5I ll 956.,

2 wardly and outwardly from illuminating.. means.. in the., cylinder 15.A

The illuminating `means comprisesa painof electric lights l31 in the cylinder 15 atopposite sides thereof rising.. Y fromY a, pair of socketsV 33 Yonthe bar. 21 `and a small g electricv motor v35.0n saidbar Y2,1 between the lights.31 having an upright armature shaft 36 rotating a trans-..y parent Vdisk 37 fastened Athereon in the upper .end of the cylinder and formed-with .diiferently colored segments K,39 for variably coloring lthe rays fromk thelights 31.radiafedf.f through the cover 25. A nutY 41 :on .said shaft .detachably fastens the disk 37 on -thesha ft.36 .against acollar 42 on the shaft.

The light rays radiatedfromthecover 25 variablycolor spray issuing underl pressure from` spray means 4comprising an inner annularvspraypipe .43 surrounding. the upper- A Y. portion of the dome13 closethereto andan outer larger-w annular. spray pipe 45 belowthe pipe..43 andonthe cover 7 extending around theedge, of said coverand suitably iixed thereon, both said pipes beingprovided -with cir.` cumferentially spaced upstandingspray jets 47, .49..

A U shaped,manifold 51 fordistributing wafer under.- pressure ,to the spray` pipes 43, 45 extends .upwardly.out, of the body 1 in straddling relation to the .dome 13. The manifold l51 `comprises aV horizontal bottom pipe-section- 53 extending beneath the cylinder ,15 and side pipe,.legs.,; 55,.' 57 extending, upwardly through-.the.fcover.7, and sealingwashers S9 on oppositev sides of said cover, `into vertical positionclose to and atoppositesides Vof the dome 13. The Vside legs 55, V57 are connected to and support the inner spray'pipe 43 in elevated position vadjacentl theVM top of dome 13 by a pair'of T-couplings 61, l63. [Sub: stantially horizontal branch vpipes 65, 67 with 'cut-,off valves-69,71 thereinconnect the-side`legs-55, -57 'to dia-l-v metrically-foppite:sides: of the-outer spraypipe#45.1??V Upper pipe sections 73, with cut-off valves 77, 79 are coupled in the legs 55, 57 by couplings 81, 83 for assembly and disassembly purposes and for controlling distribution of water to the inner, upper spray pipe 43.

A fog nozzle S5 discharging upwardly is connected to the leg 55 of the manifold 51 in communication therewith by a sectional fog nozzle feed pipe line 87 including a right angled section 89 extending upwardly between the spray pipe 43 and the dome 13, and also extending laterally from the pipe section 73 to which it is coupled, as at 91. The fog nozzle feed pipe line 87 further includes `an angular section 93 swivelled, as at 95, on the upper end of the section 89 and terminating in the fog nozzle S5, the arrangement being such that said section 93 is rotatable about a vertical axis to adjust the fog nozzle above the cover 25 in the axis of the dome 13, as shown in full lines in Figure`3, or to adjust said nozzle 85 outwardly of the dome 13 to one side thereof, as shown in broken lines in Figure 3. A cut-off yvalve 97 in the section 89 provides for controlling feed of water to the fog nozzle 85.

A suitable side suction pump 99 is provided in the bottom of the body 1 for taking in water from the body of water in which the fountain is floating and through an intake line 101 depending from a strainer section 103 through the bottom 3 of the body 1 and through suitable water seals 105. A right angled discharge pipe line 107 extends from the top of the pump 99 and is detachably connected to the bottom section 55 of the manifold 51 by coupling 109.

A pump driving electric motor 111 in line therewith is suitably mounted together with said pump 99 on a raised platform 113 in the body 1 bolted, as at 115, to the bottom 3 of said body 1.

A motor fan 117 is provided in the body 1 for cooling the motor 111 and is bolted, as at 119, to the bottom 3 of said body.

A junction box 121 is suitably fixed in the bottom of the cylinder 15, Which is to say, the dome 13, with leads 123 extending to the electric lights 31, a lead 125 extending to the motor 35, another lead 127 extending to the motor 111 and a lead 120 extending to the fan 117. A waterproof electric cable 131 extends through a water sealing grommet 133 in one side of the cylinder 15 and to said box 121 and is designed for connection to a remote shore source of electric current for energizing the lights 31, motors 35, 111 and fan 117 through the described leads.

The operation of the described fountain will be readily understood. The body 1, being placed in a pond or the like, will float on a substantially even keel because of the iin 5 counterhalancing the same and also reducing tendency of the body to spin. With the motors 35, 111 running, spray will issue from the inner and outer spray pipes 43, 45 and fog from the fog nozzle 85, according to presetting of the valves 69, 71, 77, 79 and 97, to

intermix above the dome 13, and light rays from the lights 31 will pass upwardly through the disk 37 and be variably colored intermittently by the rotating dierently colored segments 39 to pass upwardly through the cover 25 and illuminate and variably color the mixture of spray and fog whereby to provide an attractive display. By loosening the screws 9, swinging the fog nozzle 85 from over the cover 25, then removing the cover 25 and disk 37, access may be had through the cylinder to the coupling 109 to uncouple the manifold 51 so that the cover 7, spray pipes 43, 45, manifold 51 and cylinder 15 with the lights 31, motor 35 and junction box 121 may all be removed as a unit for access to the inside of the body 1 for repair or replacement purposes. The electric current to the lights 31 and the motors 35, 111 may be suitably controlled at the source, not shown.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modications and changes will readily occur to those 4 skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In a display fountain, a hollow body having an open top and a closed bottom, a cover removably mounted on said body, a cylinder rising concentrically out of said cover above the same with a transparent removable dome top and an open bottom between the cover and the bottom of the body, illuminating means in said cylinder for passing light rays upwardly through said top, an annular spray pipe surmounting said cover and surrounding said cylinder concentrically and below said top, a relatively smaller annular spray pipe surrounding said cylinder above said rst named spray pipe, a pump on the bottom of said body for supplying Water to said spray pipes and having an intake extending through said bottom, a U- shaped water supply manifold straddling said cylinder with legs extending upwardly ythrough said cover and supporting said smaller spray pipe at the top of said cylinder elevated above the rst named spray pipe, said manifold having a bight portion between said pump and the bottom of said cylinder provided with a detachable coupling to said pump accessible through said cylinder when said top is removed, said first named spray pipe land said cylinder and manifold being attached to said cover for removal together with the smaller spray pipe as a unit with saidcover when said coupling is detached.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 312,958 Bolton Feb. 24, 1885 1,549,204 Merigold Aug. 11, 1925 1,837,732 Stabler Dec. 22, 1931 1,885,830 Hutchings Nov. l, 1932 2,572,379 Pearse Oct. 23, 1951 

